Intelligence of pigs

[rainforests1]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ingrid-newkirk/9-ways-pigs-are-smarter-t_b_5154321.html
Saw this on that other message board, and thought it was interesting.

 

[beancounter]

Certain animals are really good at adapting to humans, and what appears to be exceptional intelligence is just the animals ability to be useful to/adapt to human lifestyle. Dogs are the best at adapting to humans, and it appears pigs are pretty good at it too.

 

[Blobbenstein]

yes, but it take intelligence to adapt, doesn't it? Try getting a woodlouse to adapt to humans.

 

[beancounter]

yes, but it take intelligence to adapt, doesn't it? Try getting a woodlouse to adapt to humans.

Well animals species that are naturally social, seem to be the best at adapting to humans, although, the structure of the brain probably plays a roll.

 

[Blobbenstein]

so you don't think pigs are intelligent.?

 

[beancounter]

No more than other animals of the same order.

 

[Blobbenstein]

what do you mean by 'same order'?

 

[beancounter]

what do you mean by 'same order'?

A would louse is a crustacean, and their brain is less developed than a mammals.

 

[Blobbenstein]

so you're saying that pigs are no more intelligent than other animals with the same complexity as a pig's brain? And a chicken's too?


seems a bit circular in logic.

 

[beancounter]

Chickens arent mammals. But again, social mammals will generally appear more intelligent than non social mammals because their brains have to be able to handle the complexities of a social structure. Humans have complex social structures, so humans attribute this similarity with certain animals as exceptional intelligence.

 

[Blobbenstein]

so, because pigs are social they just appear exceptionally intelligent?

I suppose you could be right, and that an intelligent unsocial animal may appear less intelligent....more likely that they are more intelligent because they are social.....

I dunno, I'm gonna watch Countdown now..

 

[Mischief]

Humans judge intelligence by human standards, and thus the species which adapt most readily to training by humans are considered the most intelligent by humans.

People tend to think that mammals are more intelligent than non-mammals, but that isn't true. For example, there are bird species who are remarkably intelligent by any standards, and animals such as octopi use tools (a human based measure of intelligence).

BTW, chickens are much more intelligent than most people assume.

 

[Blobbenstein]

is it possible to have an objective definition of intelligence?

I suppose not.